Stop victimising teachers, says APC

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has accused Governor Ayodele Fayose of victimising teachers, who are perceived enemies of his administration.

The party said victimising a section of the populace on the basis of partisan sentiment is not a mark of dispassionate leadership.

Reacting to reports of selective transfers of some teachers to remote communities, APC’s Publicity Secretary Taiwo Olatubosun said such action by the governor was an abuse of power.

“We are worried that shortly after he was sworn in, Fayose started marking down all the ‘enemy-teachers’ he perceived as not supporting him, for punishment. What we have now is taking authority to transfer teachers from the Teaching Service Commission and placing it in the hands of his Special Assistant on Internal Security, who goes around schools pointing those to be transferred and telling them the reasons for that punishment,” Olatubosun said.

APC spokesman also accused the governor of alleged plans to downsize the state work force after election promises to enhance workers’ welfare and provide jobs for the youth. He said it was callous to plan retrenchment of workers after refusing to pay their two months salary.

His words: “We now know the reason why the governor called workers to a meeting at Ekitiparapo Square where he told them that it would be difficult to pay their salaries starting from March.

“The question is, what is the governor doing with the allocations and savings made through cuts in running grants, sacking of permanent secretaries and abolition of social security scheme for the elderly, traffic management agency and Peace Corps running into millions of naira, particularly as he runs a lean government of a four-member cabinet

“Ekiti workers have now seen through the tricks of the man who calls himself the friend of workers. We warned the workers against supporting a man who would take them to the black market.

“As seen in the Ekiti election rigging tape, the world now knows how the governor got his purported victory after which he rallied workers to defend a fraudulent and illegitimate victory. He is now punishing the same workers with unpaid salaries, punitive transfers and plans to retrench.”